Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-08-11

prayer was 0HeTeQ Dy h6V. w n w II
liams, President of Franklin college and
ON motion Mr. A T McKelvey, of st.
ClaIrsville, Was called to preside, and
upon assuming the duties of the chair
he welcomed the vast throng in a neat
and cordial manner. The President
then announced that Mr.. Erasmus Will
son the Quiet Observer" was prevented
from being present While the counte-
nances of many people plainly showed
that they were greatly disappointed, the
following spicy letter partly atoned for
his absence and started to flowing the
veins of good humor which characteriz
ed the addresses of the day:
"QUIET OBSERVERS" LETTER.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Aug. 2, 1887.
j. H. Denham, Esq, st. ClGirs0jIle, Ohio:
DEAR SIR-It is with more sincere regret
than can express that write these lines in
forming you of my inability to keep nv en-
gagement. The extreme heat has 80 debil>
itated my vile, who is a great invalid at best,
that | find my presence is imperatively de-
manded at home. Should the physician
think it proper for me to leave oD the morn
ing of the 4th, | will telegraph you; but
have no hope of such q favorable turn in
affairs.
Since your kind invitation to attend your
Harvest Home Picnic. have been or the tip
toe Of expectation, and have lived over again
the days when wrestled with an old ''crane''
plow on the side hill of old ''CapIeeu;" gee
hawed "Buck and Berry" in the new ground;
hoed corn, with visions of sun-fsh aud
chubs before my eyes; split rails and built
fence when | thought ought to have been
hunting rabbits; tended the sugar camp when
it seemed that everybody else was going to
singing schools aud spelling bees, ami went
| to mill with an unevenly divided sack of
corn on the only horse on the farm that was
! in the habit OF stumbling.
Yes, and l have lived over the times when
US boys marched out against a humble bees
nest as brsvely as ever Sherman's bummers
assaulted a South Carolina smoke house.
Also the days when we sneaked off and went
swimming down in Squire Luc s. dam, and
told fibs to get out of it There is one thing
| will not plead guilty to, and that is to fish
| ing on Sunday. Although we we're some.
what Quakerish down over my way, and
were not averse to visiting, and even work
ing a little on First Day, we never went fish
| ing. The fish would have given US away.
Pleasant Ridge school-house, eight logs
high, with slab benches, looms up in the
midst of my reveres. Ii ever | get away
from here that shall be my Mecca. Had
been permitted to t4lk to you people should
have spoken specially to the boys and girls.
You old fellows are so set in your ways that
it would be useless TO spend time on you.
| But would like to have a chance to say to
the Belmont boys and girls that they are
blessed far above their city brothers and sis
tiers. They may not think 80, but they are.
Many and many are the times that have
regretted leaving the old hills of "Capteen, "
and often would | have returned, as one
weary with wandering, had it not been that
feared the charge of failure would be brought
up against me if did.
Above all things else l most sincerely re
gret the loss of confidence in the virtue of
my feliowman. Here | find knaves and
scallawags by the score, with smart sprinkt
ling of downright villains. These do congre-
gate mostly in cities, and help to spoil those
who are natural ly honest and fair.
l would like to tell the boys to stick to the
farm. Driving plow is much better than
driving street Car. and hoeing corn better
than digging bitches for gas pipe. Don't
come to the city unless you have business
| here. 1t is a good place for business men,
but very bad one for those who have nc
business in hand. For those who come moral
training will be more useful than college
education. Indeed, our cities are full to over
flowing with educated loafers. The young
man of the present day who wins a diploma
is generally above working with his hands,
| would like to say to the country girls tC
keep away from the cities, except perchance
to visit u friend. Too many of them look
with special favor on city beaux. They are
nice to look upon. but not to marry. l Car
show scores of wrecks due to the fascinatlons
Of city life. 1t is natural, and therefore prop.
er, for country women to marry country men
They understand each other and will be more
likely to get along well together. SO far ]
have failed to find a single instance Aherein 6
country>bred girl has married a city>bred
man, that they have prospered and lived
happily. | will not say that country girls are
ever so much better than their city sisters,
but will say they ere better calculated for
country wives than for city wives. You
know what an awkward figure city girl cuts
when she marries farmer and attemps to
play the role of a farmers wife. Well, she is
not more of spectacle than the country girl
who comes here as the wife of city man.
My advice is for you to marry among your
selves and not to come to the city unless
you have urgent business here.
You will be kind enough to say to the
farmer folks that this is one of the keenest
uisappointments that | have felt for many q
day, and that n0 ordinary interference would
have prevented my being with them. 1t may
be possible to meet with their Farmers Club
sometime and tell them what know about
farming. 1t will not be very long story,
but we will have lots of fun inspecting the
pies and cakes which usually abound on such
occasions.
Yours for old Belmont,
ERASMUS WILSON
After the reading of the letter, Dr.
| II. r. B!aiSdell. the new President of
the Wheeling Female College, very
polished and pleasant gentleman, W as
| introduced and made brief address.
DR. BLArsDELL's REMARKS.
The following is brief synopsis of the re-
marks of DR.. Blaisdel:
After pleasant reference to the amicable
relations of Ohio and Kentucky, and the supe-
rior qualifications Of country girls, he remarked
upon the fact that every race, and in some
measure, every generation of men, has had a
special task, has performed some special func-
J ton in the unfolding of civilization. fixed
government was slowly brought out From the
patriarch to the emperor of Assyria and Egypt,
the steps were taken one by one IL was the
business of one race to teach religion-of an
other to develop the intellect, as the Greek
Yet the role of another to bring out the idea of
law, as the Roman commonwealth. We, to-
day, are nheriting these lessons of history
What shall we in our turn do TO make the world
better and wiser? This question is answered
by the nineteenth century. The water, steam
| lightning have all been tanned. The tale of
| Aladdin and his Lamp is not half so wonderful
But is there not higher function than this
control of outward nature? 1t is great thing
to build steam engine, but it is a gre tier to